Customer Reviews

A Christmas Carol: The Musical

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

If you were ever in New York around Christmas time from 1994 to it's tenth and final year in 2003 the number one show to see would have been Madison Square Garden's A CHRISTMAS CAROL presented first in 1994 with Walter Charles as Scrooge and in later years F. Murray Abraham and even Tim Curry! The stage adaptation was the most elaborate spectacle you could ever wish to see on-stage with magical sets, fantastic costumes and even an indoor snowfall! Realistically, there was no way to transfer this magic to the screen, but it was attempted anyway, and what we are left with is the charm of the material. Any musical based on a Charles Dickens novel is heading in the right direction from the start. Add to the equation the beautiful music of Alan Menken (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas and even Little Shop of Horrors!) and the perfectly poignant lyrics by Lyn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical, Once on this Island and A Man of No Importance) and the material is sure to stand up... and it does. However, that was in 1995.

In later years the authors continued to make rather bizarre changes to the score that, essentially were exceedingly inferior to their counterpart songs. The best example would be replacing the beautifully dark opening song "The Years are Passing By" from the original stage version with the totally lame "Jolly Good Time". This was apparently done in an effort to make the show less daunting for kids, but this is Charles Dickens and therefor in doing so you are destroying the very foundation of your source material. Some of the revisions, however, are very nice indeed like the inclusion of the new song "You Mean More to Me" which is just pure heaven. Unfortunately the script presented for this television version was the revised script from the later versions of the show and not the one from 1995. So the material does not hold up quite as strong. Thankfully, we have an all-star cast to pull the focus away from that and they succeed. Kelsey Grammer is a serviceable Scrooge and the ensemble of Broadway veterans lead us through a nightmare tale that will ultimately put you in the Christmas spirit, and that, if anything, could have been Dicken's intentions all along. If you can find it, definitely pick up the 1995 original cast recording of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, but for the visuals, this DVD will do just fine.

I saw this on TV when it first aired, even then I was already in a show of A Christmas Carol as Young Man Scrooge, read the book, saw many movie verisions, and loved it. When I saw this I loved it, not for Kelsey Grammar, no not for Jason Alexander, I loved it for Ruthie Henshall, Jane Krakowski, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jesse L. Martin. Their acting and singing shine in this production. With great choreography, music, acting, pretty good directing, what got me down on this dvd was the sloppy editing. The editing is terrible! Usually it dosen't bother me all that much, but on this it is so bad, I couldn't stand it. But with great music with a cd available of it, I still love this story and this movie, but it does have flaws as all movies do, but still a good product. I like that it has commentary and just a little benhind the scenes look. I give this a tree for the editing and Kelsey's performance, but great music, choreography, singing, and acting.

I really did. Although the story did not follow the Dickens version to the letter, the story was told in enough similarity that you picked it up. Jason Alexander as Marley was great, and Jane Krakowski was as beautiful as ever. This was well done, and if you are looking for a lighter version of A Christmas Carol, get this. My favorite serious version is still George C. Scott.

I am a lifelong fan of various film versions of "A Christmas Carol", and in fact have had a few very flawed versions grow on me after repeated viewings, however this one was just plain horrific. I was shocked and surprised at how poorly executed it was - particularly considering the fantastic cast and the musical genius of Alan Menken involved. I've tried to watch a few times now and just can't get through it. The songs, the acting, and the sets and locations are terrible and not in any way true to the essence of Dickens' story. If you like musicals, the Albert Finney version is SO much better. This one is just a terrible disappointment.

This version of 'A Christmas Carol' will grow on you. I have to agree with one other reviewer, the music is the best part of this movie. As for Jason Alexander as Marley: he has one of the best musical numbers in the movie. "Link-by-Link" is absolutely delightful. I also agree with the thoughts on Kelsey Grammer, that he did a great job as Scrooge.

When Christmas rolls around, our family loves to pull out these three DVDs: the Muppets 'A Christmas Carol', George C. Scott's 'A Christmas Carol', and now 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical'. It makes for a great time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day!

I like the muppet version better. Stunning stage and costumes. Amiable actors but some are not as accomplished as the others. Follows the original with some artistic license. Some of the music is enjoyable but the same musical theme runs through the whole show and gets sort of boring. I would recomend this to "A Christmas Carol" enthusiasts for the diferent slant it introduces. Bon apetit.

I had viewed this on TV and decided to add it to my Christmas Carol collection. It is a wonderful version and Kelsey does an excellent job.

Just love this adaptation of the classic Christmas Carol! We watch it several times through the holidays. It is a Christmas tradition. Tried to buy it last year but could not find it so we were thrilled to be able to get it this year.

I have seen several movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol, and I find the story very depressing, with just a few minutes of happiness at the end, so I have never enjoyed it.

However, when I heard about this one, and heard that Kelsey Grammer (love him) was playing Scrooge, I decided to check it out. So glad I did! This has become a favorite of our family.

The best part is the music. It's very well done, more complex and interesting than I expected, and I find myself humming the tunes for weeks after I watch it, they're captivating. My favorite is "A Place Called Home", sung by Jennifer Love Hewitt and a young Ebenezer. Her voice is lovely, and the song is just beautiful.

Kelsey Grammer was a perfect Scrooge. He captures the "bah humbug" type of personality, but was also a loveable changed Scrooge at the end. And he has a wonderful, strong singing voice.

I look forward to watching this every Christmas.

Last Christmas Season my wife and I decided to watch a different version of "A Christmas Carol" every other night or so. We have seen most of them over the years but thought it might be fun to critique them. I know we missed a few, but I had the hardest time finding this musical version. It was broadcast once and I never saw it again.

For my money, The dramatic 1951 version with Alister Sim as the "quintessential" Scrooge is the best. Patrick Stewart's portrayal is worthy of mention, but others like George C. Scott, and Reginald Owen are just remakes and not spectacular at all. When it comes to Musical versions, "Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol" from my childhood will always be near and dear since I grew up with those songs in my memory.

This version, "A Christmas Carol The Musical" DELIVERS!!
The Production is Grand, and the story is a bit more complete than many others. The numbers are quite memorable, and you will find yourself singing them for weeks afterward. The idea of writing the three Ghosts into the story, both before and after their memorable night, I thought was a nice concept and worked well. The performances are top notch, although at times you might be expecting "Niles Crane" to enter the room, but Kelsey Grammer does a fine Scrooge. I thought this was as enjoyable as any Musical Production I have viewed, whether it be "The Phantom" or "Les Miserables" just more light hearted, and even a bit of a tear jerker.

A MUST SEE !!